Closed
Urgent request for tree pruning - Damage to neighbouring property and passers-by
Sent to Bromley Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 7645732.
I am writing to urgently request that a contractor be arranged to prune the tree located on Montrave Road, which has been causing ongoing damage to the neighbouring property at 9 St Johns Road for over a year. A separate damage claim with the council is already in progress regarding this matter.
In addition to the property damage, several branches have fallen recently, posing a serious risk to public safety. There have been instances where falling branches have injured passers-by, further highlighting the urgency of this issue.
Please can this matter be prioritised and actioned as soon as possible to prevent further damage or injury.
Updates
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Thank you for your report, this is now being investigated. Information on our services and the timeframes we aim to respond in can be found: http://www.bromley.gov.uk/ fixservices
Posted by Bromley Council
at 12:56, Sun 1 June 2025
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The original logging of this was in January 2024, however that report has been recently erroneously closed - despite saying that a contractor was due to attend on 30th May. The photos attached have been taken today, so you can clearly see that the contractor did not attend.
Please respond ASAP, especially considering this is part of an ongoing insurance claim for ££££ of damages to 9 St John's Road.
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Thank you for the update, having spoke with the contractor they explained that they attended site of the 30th of May, they were unable to complete the works as residents had ignored the no parking signs and cones under the tree. This will now have to be booked in for the future, with no parking put out again, but hopefully not ignored.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 20:04, Mon 2 June 2025
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We have investigated the report issue and have made contact with the report originator and/or a subsequent commenter to outline further details. This report is now closed on FixMyStreet.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 20:05, Mon 2 June 2025
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Thank you for your response — however, I am at a loss as to why this case has been marked as resolved when nothing has been addressed.
This matter has been ongoing since January 2024, and it is completely unacceptable that it remains unresolved. I am requesting that the case be reopened immediately.
To clarify, we observed only one sign — placed on the pavement, not visible to drivers parking on Montrave Road — along with a few small bollards that lacked any clear purpose. It's no surprise that residents moved them, unaware of their relevance. It’s difficult to understand how this could be considered adequate signage. At a minimum, notices should have been delivered through letterboxes on Montrave Road to ensure residents were properly informed.
Furthermore, when the previous contractor attended to complete only part of the job, no restrictions on parking were required — so it is unclear why it is any different now.
This issue is part of an ongoing insurance claim, and the handling of it to date — especially considering the emotional distress and property damage experienced by the residents of 9 St John’s Road over the past 18 months — has been deeply stressful, distressing, and wholly unacceptable.
Please confirm that the case has been reopened and provide clear next steps. If this continues to be dismissed, we will have no choice but to escalate the matter further, including contacting the Ombudsman and local press.
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Please speak with the contractor and confirm a date for the rescheduled works as soon as possible. In addition, either the council or the contractor must ensure that clear, unambiguous signage is provided — explicitly stating that no parking is permitted, and positioned so that it is impossible to miss for anyone parking on Montrave Road.
It is in everyone’s best interest to get this resolved without any further delay. We're also happy to liaise directly with the contractor if you can provide their contact details - I'm sure that would be the most efficient solution for all.
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Thank you for the comment, they are looking to book this in ASAP, sadly we can not pass their details over at this time.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 08:38, Thu 5 June 2025
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Please can you update us with a specific date? We have now been trying to resolve this for 18 months.
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Our contractor will return in due course.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 08:27, Tue 17 June 2025
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We have received no further update on us, and it has now been another month since the last update. Please see attached photos of HUGE branches (3-4 metres long) that have snapped off in the wind and fallen onto the public pavement below.
This is a huge health and safety concern and must be rectified immediately, this could have easily hospitalised somebody if they were walking underneath at the time.
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Our contractor will return in due course.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 08:35, Tue 15 July 2025
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HOW is that an acceptable update when this is a public safety issue?
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Our contractor has been notified of the issue, they have been asked to complete the works at a earlier date if possible.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 08:30, Thu 17 July 2025
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Please can you advise when the contractor is planning to undertake the works? We saw that they trimmed a smaller tree also on montrave road last week - why wasn't this one addressed at the same time?
This is causing a huge amount of distress to all nearby residents due to this going on for so long now. Please help us.
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Our contractor has been notified of the issue, they have been asked to complete the works at a earlier date if possible.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 20:18, Mon 28 July 2025
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Hello,
We contacted the contractor (Down to Earth) today, who advised that they were waiting on the Council for direction, and would chase you on the matter.
This is conflicting information as you have advised that it was you chasing them / waiting on them to advise on a date.
Please can you clear this up with them immediately, and if indeed they are waiting on the council for further detail / instruction, action this immediately.
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We have spoken with the contractor, they are coordinating works as a MEWP is required for the job. Due to the cars not moving the last time, works that require a MEWP needs to be available if the cars don't move again. The machine is a extra cost and can not be wasted.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 10:41, Thu 31 July 2025
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Thank you for your update.
However I must stress that it is the Council’s responsibility — not the contractor’s, nor the responsibility of the person who reported the issue — to ensure that vehicles are moved to allow the works to proceed. The severely neglected and overgrown tree in question is the Council’s responsibility to maintain, and it is currently causing both public safety concerns and thousands of pounds’ worth of damage to neighbouring properties.
It is also important to clarify that the vehicles parked in the affected spaces belong to residents of Montrave Road, not 9 St John’s Road. These residents will not be aware of the severity of the situation, the long history of the report and open claim, or the potential risk if works are delayed. They also appear not to have been adequately notified — a small sign on a nearby lamppost is insufficient and could easily have been missed.
Please can you provide an update and ETA for these works?
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We have spoken with the contractor, they are coordinating works as a MEWP is required for the job. Due to the cars not moving the last time, works that require a MEWP needs to be available if the cars don't move again. The machine is a extra cost and can not be wasted.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 20:39, Mon 11 August 2025
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Hello,
We've just received this through our door from the contractor which is great, but can you confirm that it's also been posted through the doors of all properties on Montrave Road, as this is where the owners of the cars that park under the tree live?
Also, we can't see any bollards or signage outside regarding the works planned - will this also be put out today to ensure there is full awareness about needing the area to be free from cars?
We want to ensure the same issue doesn't arise as last time, as I'm sure you do too!
Thank you
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This has been posted to the houses in the local area of the tree.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 09:17, Fri 22 August 2025
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Contractor completed on site
Posted by Bromley Council
at 09:38, Thu 28 August 2025
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Hello,
Thank you for the works carried out. However, as shown in the attached photo, the tree remains significantly taller than the neighbouring property. This will continue to allow squirrels to access the rood and will therefore result in further damage if left unresolved.
Could you please instruct the contractor to return and carry out a crown reduction so that the height of the tree is brought below the level of the neighbouring roof/guttering? This will help to prevent further property damage from squirrel infestations.
I have also logged a separate case for the neighbouring tree, which has become similarly overgrown and presents the same height issue. It may be practical for the contractor to address both trees at the same time.
Thank you for your assistance.
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Thank you for the update, no further works are to take place, we do not prune trees because they are tall. Please refer to the Tree Management Strategy for guidance.
Posted by Bromley Council
at 19:59, Sun 7 September 2025
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.